Nevada County Real Estate with Sachi

Well, it’s that time of the year again and the streets in the historic district of Nevada City are getting ready for the annual Victorian Christmas. The light bulbs are checked to make sure that when lit you can see the silhouette of the buildings in downtown Nevada City at night. The street lamp post are also checked and the parking meters are dressed with wreathes for the festivities.

This year, the last day of the event is on the Sunday, right before Christmas. It is great for the last minute shoppers or for the folks who are coming into town for the holiday week to pick up something special.

The dates are Wednesdays - Dec. 2, 9 and 16 from 6pm to 9pm and Sundays - Dec. 13 and 20 from 1:30pm to 6pm.

Here is the website for more information: www.NevadaCityChamber.com

I hope that you can make it. Nevada City looks like Christmas card. Happy Holidays!

This was the 4th annual tour, which is put on by the Nevada County Economic Resource Council. The Tour of Nevada County is designed to provide the general public with a look into the economic engine that drives Western Nevada County. The principal focus is to highlight exporting manufacturers.

The companies we visited were Plan it Solar, DeMartini RV Sales, Best Trailers and BUB Enterprises. We also visited Sierra College Nevada County campus and even had some of the Sierra College Board of Trustees on the tour with us.

This year’s folks got an extra treat. While at BUB Enterprises, we learned that they reclaimed the motorcycle land speed records. Their previous speed was 350.844 mph and the new records is 367 mph.

To look at the previous years and what companies they visited, go to the Nevada County Economic Resource Council (ERC) website. The ERC is dedicated and positioned to assist in business attraction, creation and retention in Nevada County.

The annual tour is a great event and I hope that you consider attending. Next year the date is September 23rd.

Come to Nevada City this weekend (9/12-9/13) and watch a Civil War re-enactment taking place. The American Civil War Association will be bringing 400 re-enactors here who will set up camp and fight 3 battles over two days.

On Sunday is the annual Constitution Day Parade with the famous Marching Presidents. The Marching Presidents represent each of the 44 Presidents and their First Ladies, which is one of the highlights of the parade that starts at 2:00 pm down Broad Street in Nevada City. This year the Nevada County Clerk-Recorder and his wife will be representing the 44^th President Obama and the First Lady. Accompanying them will be Pepper, prepared to be Bo, the First Family’s new puppy, strutting with a Secret Service handler to protect him.

Read about Pepper and get a schedule at Pepper & Schedule or more information at the Nevada City Chamber at chamber

Hope to see you!

In most markets, prices won’t go any lower and there is an abundance of inventory. There are many options out there for buyers and sellers who are willing to negotiate and work toward a win-win situation.

There are opportunities out there for a buyer if you’re willing to look. The Homebuyer Tax Credit for 2009 purchasers is available until December 1, 2009, which means qualified buyers have a short window of opportunity. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) home loans are a viable alternative for first time home buyers. To find out about FHA and other loans, go to www.Hud.Gov/Buying/Loans and www.Realtor.org and do a search for Consumer Literacy.

For buyers who qualify, mortgage rates are near historical lows. Rates are well under 6%. According to data provided by Freddie Mac, rates averaged 9.2% in the past 30 years.

Owning a home is the American dream. It not only provides amazing tax benefits, but it also provides shelter and security to families. It is also a long-term investment and its value will continue to rise. Home values could fall in some years, though, on average over the past 30 years, the median price of existing homes has increased more than 4.5 percent every year.

Remember that all real estate is local and that all markets are different. Talk to your REALTOR® or call me today about helping you achieve the American dream! So, what are you waiting for?

Now is a great time to purchase a home. The interest rates are down and house prices are down. What are you waiting for?

Below is a chart of the pros and cons for buying versus renting.

I hope that you find it interesting enough to call me today! Let’s get you into a home here in Nevada County.

Buy vs. Rent: Pros and Cons

Buy - Advantages (Pros)

• Property builds equity
• Sense of community, stability, and security
• Free to change decor and landscaping
• Not dependent on landlord to maintain property
• Tax benefits

Buy - Considerations (Cons)

• Responsible for maintenance
• Responsible for property taxes
• Possibility of foreclosure and loss of equity
• Less mobility then renting

Rent - Advantages (Pros)

• Little or no responsibility for maintenance
• Easier to move

Rent - Considerations (Cons)

• No equity is built up
• No control over rent increases
• No tax benefits
• Possibility of eviction

So on Saturday night (2/14), I went out to the National Hotel, located in Nevada City, for the last night of karaoke. I had forgotten that you really don’t need to sing to have a great time.

A lot of the fun comes from singing along with the people up with the microphone or just dancing to the music. This lets the singer know that you are enjoying the music and their performance. It actually encourages more people to go up to the mic to sing. You can go up as an individual or as a group. I really like the groups because they really seem to have a great time, especially when they have choreographed dance steps at the last minute to add visuals.

If you have never seen or been to a karaoke event, you should try it, you might like it.

Drafty windows and poor insulation can significantly drive up the price of homeownership.
Don’t burn a hole in your pocket! Pay attention to the heating and cooling capacity of a prospective property to avoid getting burned by high energy bills. Call the utility company for an estimate of typical energy usage as a guide. Aside from apparent issues, like drafts, here are some less obvious things to consider.
High ceilings, which look great and make the room feel larger, as well as multi-level dwellings force your heating and cooling system to work harder to regulate temperatures.
Seek out advanced control systems that allow you to isolate temperature settings by room or time of day
Vents located under windows or large rooms lacking vents increase heating and cooling bills if not property addressed.
Check for drafts around doors, windows, electrical outlets and fireplaces. Address drafts immediately and reap energy savings of up to 30% per year.
These are just a few tips to think about when buying or selling your home, here in Nevada County.

Looking to take advantage of the great investment potential of real estate here is Nevada County? Remember to choose your investment carefully because it can be a great investment, but not every property is a big winner. Return from real estate investing can net up to 9-10% more than the stock market. Estimate how much you are willing to invest and the return you expect to achieve. Here are a few more points to keep in mind:

Looking for rental property? Rental property should comfortable rent for 1% of its purchase price. If that is significantly more than comparable properties in the local market, you may find yourself unable to rent it or having to take a loss to rent it out.

Being a landlord not your forte? Look for large land tracts that can eventually be sold for commercial or residential development.

Bank sales, property auctions and estate sales are excellent sources of property priced below market value for a quick sale.

Call me! I have the skills and experience to help you make the most of your investment dollars. I can watch for investment properties and deals that are suitable for your real estate investing.

I am back from a long hiatus. 2009 is a new year with new ideas and a new way of thinking. I will be sharing some of my thoughts about Nevada County, real estate and just about life through my blog. I hope that you will enjoy reading them.

I will blog more later.